The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
MAIL ROBBERS.
HOW THEY ARE CAPTURED By
POSTOFFICE DETECTIVES.
Relentless Pursuit of Dishonest EN-.
ployes Of the Postal Serv.
ice-A One-Dollar Bill
With a History.

Attached to the United States Mail sery-
ice is corps of sharp-witted and keen
eyed detectives, whose exploits are seldom
recorded in the columns of the newspa-
pers, but who perform no small part in
the safe conduct of the postal arrange
ments of the country. The men who
compose the corps are known as postoftice
inspectors. They are sometimes con-
founded with the agents of the United
States Secret Service Bureau, but are in
fact of an entirely distinct and separate
organization, having not even a remote
connection with the latter.
New York is the most fruitful field for
the postoffice inspector to exercise his
genius. The headquarters of the corps
was formerly situated at the southeast
corner of the Federal building, up one
flight of stairs, but recently, on account
of the public character of the situation,
the bureau was transferred to two large
apartments on the fourth floor, where the
work of the office is carried on free from
the noise of the street and the intrusion OF
the public.
Every complaint which comes to the
postmaster of letters which have never
found their destination is referred to the
inspector for his thorough examination.
Not day goes by in which there are not
several complaints of this description, and
consequently the inspectors hands are full
with the hundreds of cases which &C.
cumulate so rapidly as to overburden his
desk.
1t is said of a great express company
that it never permits dishonest employe
to 90 unpunished, even if it should re-.
quire years of h-priced detective skill
it which to hunt him down, no matter
how small may be the amount of loss
which the company has suffered. Rec
ords show that this express company has
pursued q thieving servant for twenty
years before capture was effected.
The United States Government Is scarce
ly less relentless with the robbers of the
mails, but it seldom takes so long time
to corner the culprit. There is no branch
of public or private industry where dis.
honesty is so certain of ultimate detection
as in the United States postal service. A
single theft may possibly escape notice,
but succession of thefts will make the
thief's apprehension but a question OF
time.
The postofice inspector is always a
quiet, gentlemanly person. His dress IS
that of well-to-do business man. There
is nothing about him of the detective OF
fiction or the drama. he is familiar with
the faces of hundreds of the subordinates
of the office, few of whom know him even
by sight. His presence is always
dreaded.
One of the inspectors attached to the
New York postotice told a Neus reporter
the other day some of the methods used
in the detection of criminals in the serv-
ice. The narrator is tall, slender per-
sonage, of perhaps forty years, who has
passed the major part of his life in the
postal service, having been in the postof-
flee in Boston, in the railway mail service
between Boston and this city, and later
an inspector in charge of the Southern
division of the department. A keen,
dark eye and shrewd Yankee face are al
that distinguish him from the thousands
one meets in elbowing ones way through
crowded Broadway. He said:
"When a clerk or letter-carrier once
begins to pilfer from the mails he never
stops until arrested. Upon that fact de-
pends the certainty of bis apprehension
sooner or later. The chief weapon upon
which we rely for catching the criminal
is the decoy letter, in which is inclosed
marked bill or bills. could tell many
an interesting experience in that connec-
tion."
The Inspector then took from ca
pacious pocketbook 81 United States
Treasury note we'll marked in blue ink.
81 have" he continued, "caught ten
thieves with this particular bill. Some
how, do not know why, there is GER
tain fatality connected with marked bills,
and if put one marked and two un-
marked bills in a letter which Is stolen,
the thief seldom spends the one which is
sure to cause his detectron.
II lost the other day, however, q 81
bill which caused the arrest of over forty
clerks and letter carriers. 1t was literally
covered with private marks. placed in
it decoy letter with one marked bill to
catch fellow attached to an uptown
branch office. When I arrested the man
I found this note have in my hand, but
the other was gone. I offered to give
him $40, if he would tell me where he
spent it, but he refused. "-NeU lorh
Neacs.